The treatment of these petitions illustrates the tyranny of the
Slave Power to the very eve of its fall. Such an incident is
not without historic significance.
MR. PRESIDENT,--I present the petition of Henry Elwell, Jr., and
four hundred and fifty-five others, of Manchester, in Massachusetts,
earnestly petitioning Congress to repeal the Fugitive Slave Act
of 1850,--to abolish Slavery in the District of Columbia, and
in the United States Territories,--to prohibit the inter-State
slave-trade,--and to pass a resolution pledging Congress against
the admission of any Slave State into the Union, the acquisition of
any Slave Territory, and the employment of any slaves by any agent,
contractor, officer, or department of the National Government; also,
a like petition of Alvan Howes and fifty-five others, of Barnstable,
Massachusetts; also, a like petition of John Clement and one hundred
and nineteen others, of Townsend, Massachusetts; also, a like
petition of Samuel L. Rockwood and seventy-three others, of Weymouth,
Massachusetts; also, a like petition of J. H. Browne and sixty-four
others, of Sudbury, Massachusetts; also, a like petition of Daniel
Hosmer and ninety-eight others, of Sterling, Massachusetts; also, a
like petition of Albert Gould and one hundred and thirty-one others
of Leicester, Massachusetts; also, a like petition of James M. Evelett
and two hundred others, of Princeton, Massachusetts; also, a like
petition of Daniel Otis and seventy-nine others, of South Scituate,
Massachusetts; also, a like petition of Calvin Cutter and eighty-four
others, of Warren, Massachusetts; also, a like petition of R. W. French
and thirty others, of Lawrence, Massachusetts; also, a like petition
of Edmund H. Sears and two hundred and forty-five others, of Wayland,
Massachusetts.
These several petitions I now present. On a former occasion, during
this session, a similar petition presented by me was laid upon the
table. A similar petition presented by another Senator was referred to
the Committee on the Judiciary. An authoritative precedent, established
after debate, since I have been in the Senate, seems to be the best
guide on this occasion. That was on a memorial from four thousand
citizens of Boston, praying the repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act.
After ample consideration, during which much was said against the
memorialists, no proposition was made to lay their prayer on the table.
Following that precedent, and another established during the present
session, I move that all these petitions be referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary.
Mr. Mason, of Virginia, at once moved that the petitions lie on
the table, thus precluding debate and stifling action. The yeas
and nays were ordered on motion of Mr. Sumner, and resulted as
follows, 25 yeas and 19 nays:--
YEAS,--Messrs. Bayard, Bragg, Chesnut, Clay, Clingman,
Crittenden, Davis, Fitch, Fitzpatrick, Gwin, Hemphill, Hunter,
Iverson, Johnson of Arkansas, Johnson of Tennessee, Kennedy,
Lane, Latham, Mason, Nicholson, Polk, Rice, Sebastian,
Slidell, and Thomson,--25.
NAYS,--Messrs. Bingham, Cameron, Chandler, Clark, Collamer,
Dixon, Doolittle, Fessenden, Foot, Foster, Hale, Hamlin, King,
Seward, Sumner, Trumbull, Wade, Wilkinson, and Wilson,--19.
So the petitions were ordered to lie on the table. The
Democrats all voted yea; the Republicans all voted nay.